________________________ / \ | Vengeance And A Half | \________________________/ Thanks to my pre-readers: Ben aevan http://aevan.virtualave.net Kevin D. Hammel http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~khammel/ Blood Blade http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/5920 Mike Rever Visit my website at dzillman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dzillman/fire Pre-story readiness check: Dark Moon Family invading Tokyo... Check Death Busters active and seeking heart crystals... Check Outer Senshi awake with fragmented memories... Check Sailor Saturn considered threat by all Senshi... Check Revenge crazed martial artists ready... Check Delusional Kuno family... Check Inner Senshi and martial artists at war... Check Outer Senshi and Inner Senshi at war... Check Death Busters and Dark Moon Family at war... Check Pre-story environment load: Battle scarred Tokyo... Loaded Droids, Daimons and evil infestations... Loaded Additional misunderstanding... Loaded Subtle innuendo and cheesy dialogue... Loaded Violence and battles... Loading... Loading... Capacity Reached Story ready... Cue cute music... Part 7: The Tip Of The Iceberg ============================== Hotaru sat down on the low wall and opened her can of drink. It was hot and tiring work, but she was not willing to stop. This was something that she knew needed to be done, deep down in her soul, all the way through her body to the marrow of her bones. Ranma-san had done so much for her, this was the only way Hotaru believed that she could repay her hero. Yesterday she had spent a lot of time with Nabiki-neechan. When she had first moved in with Ranma-san, Hotaru thought that Nabiki treated her like some of the other kids at school used to, but now she knew better. Nabiki-neechan treated everyone like that. Where Kasumi-neechan was warm and friendly and so nice all the time, Nabiki-neechan was always a bit more distant... perhaps even a lot more. If you were in the same room with her, even sitting next to her, the brown haired girl somehow made you feel like you were all alone. That was why Hotaru had not spent a lot of time with the youngest sister, however, as she got to know the older girl, she started to understand her better. Nabiki-neechan was not cold and distant to just Hotaru. She was like that to everyone. Somehow that made all of the difference to the little girl. So often in the past she had been used to people hating her or at least being cold and rude that she was used to it. That was why Hotaru was so delighted when she realised that Nabiki-neechan did not hate her. Even if Nabiki-neechan did tend to look at her like a little bug, her new big sister did that to everyone, even Ranma-san. Hotaru could not understand why anyone would dislike Ranma-san, but if Nabiki-neechan treated Hotaru the same way Ranma-san was treated, that was good enough. When she had worked with the older girl, Hotaru had gone through a number of Tokyo phone books. There were a lot of people call "Saotome" in Tokyo. Actually, there were simply a lot of people living there, so even uncommon names got repeated. That was where Nabiki-neechan's genius had come in. From one of the drawers in her bedside chest, Nabiki-neechan had pulled out a copy of Ranma-san's birth certificate. Hotaru was still not quite sure why her new sister had a copy of the birth certificate, but it did provide some invaluable information on her idol that she did not know. Information like the name of his mother. Saotome Ranma, child of Genma and Nodoka. There it was, in black and white. That information alone was enough to eliminate all but one name from the phone book. Surprisingly, the only reference left in the book was for "Saotome G & N". After ten years of absence, Ranma-san's mother - assuming it was the right one - still kept the phone in bother her husband's and her own name. Devotion and persistence like that showed where Ranma-san got his from. That was how Hotaru came to be where she was. Nabiki-neechan had helped her find the address on the map, but the older girl was unable to accompany her. While Kasumi-neechan looked after the house, Nabiki- neechan looked after the finances. She went out each day, selling her wards and her advice, and that meant she was unable to accompany Hotaru. So this morning Hotaru had headed out by herself and taken the train across the city. Ranma-san's mother's house was not far away. Normally Ranma-san and his friends would walk further in a single night's patrol. Hotaru knew that if she was walking with Ranma-san in the afternoon, she would probably walk almost that distance. Despite that, she did not want to arrive all tired and sweaty. If she was going to meet the mother of her idol, she wanted to appear at her best. That was why she was resting and having a cooling drink of iced tea from the vending machine. That house, across the street, was the place. The place where Ranma-san must have run around as a little boy. Just thinking of her idol as an adorably cute four-year old wearing a pig tail was enough to make Hotaru smile and hide a giggle behind her hand. Finishing her drink, Hotaru stood and smoothed out her skirt. It might be the same school uniform she had been wearing since she left home so suddenly, but under Kasumi-neechan's care and attention it still looked as fresh and clean as one newly bought off the rack. Hotaru just hoped it was good enough for the first time she met Ranma-san's mother. Walking up to the door of the house, Hotaru took a deep breath, braced her shoulders, then gave a firm knock on the door. There was silence for so long that Hotaru almost knocked again but just before her hand reached the door she heard footsteps. Shortly afterwards a tall, mature woman in a fine looking kimono opened the door and looked down at her. "Hello. Is the school selling raffle tickets again? I'm afraid I cannot afford any at the moment." "N-No..." Twisting her hands in the fabric of her skirt, Hotaru felt like running in panic. Now that she was here, how was she supposed to talk to a complete stranger like this? How could she have forgotten what she was meant to say? "A-Are you Saotome Nodoka-sama?" The woman smiled. "Please, there is no need to be that formal. And yes, my name is Saotome Nodoka." "_The_ Saotome Nodoka?" Nodoka put a tilted her head and thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. I think I'm just _a_ Saotome Nodoka. I would not be surprised if there was another person with the same name as me in Japan somewhere. I don't imagine you could be a little more specific, dear? Don't tell me I won something from that school exhibition day I attended a while ago. Honestly, I was just doing it because I like being around young children like you." Hotaru flushed. Of course it was a silly question. "S-Sorry. I'm a little nervous... Are you... Are you Ranma-san's mother? Do you have a son that is a martial artist?" Faster than Hotaru's eyes could track, Nodoka was out of the door way and kneeling in front of her. Nodoka had the startled girl held by each shoulder and she looked her seriously in the face. With a shaking voice and eyes that shimmered with barely restrained tears, Nodoka forced herself to ask slowly. "Do... Do you know my son? Do you know where he is?" "Y--" Her head had only begun to nod, and the word was not out of her mouth fully before she was swamped in the embrace of the woman. Holding the little girl tightly, Nodoka felt an incredible, indescribable relief flooding through her system. For ten years she had not seen her son. For ten years she had heard nothing more than the occasional postcard written in her husband's appalling handwriting and even those had dried up and ceased months ago. In the whole ten years since he left, she had not seen a single photo of her son growing up, nor had she received even a single word written by him on one of Genma's infrequent cards. The part of her that feared, the part of her that was a reasonable woman first and a mother second had long ago begun insisting that something terrible must have happened to her son. The part that was a mother, the part with unlimited determination and patience - that unreasonable and irrational part of her mind - continued to insist that her son was alive and well. Someday she hoped she would be reunited with him, but over time that hope had become thinner and thinner. Without realising it, Nodoka found that she had no longer really believed in that fond hope. Now that the hope had been restored, Nodoka found it like a great tearing pain in her chest, as though something lost had been returned and the out-swelling of love was trying to push aside all other emotions in her body. Startled by Nodoka's reaction, Hotaru stood dumbfounded for long moments as the woman held her and great wracking sobs of relief shook her body. After a time, Hotaru reached up and tentatively put her hands around Nodoka's shoulders and returned the hug. She did not have the woman's strength or enthusiasm, but she could sympathise. She knew that if she were separated from someone like Ranma-san as long as his mother had been, she would be upset too. The tableaux held like that for many long minutes. When Nodoka finally regained control of herself and took stock of where they were a blush crossed her features. Here she was, a decent and respectable Japanese woman, showing all her emotions out in public like this. Breathing deeply, she pulled her emotions back inside herself and stood up. Brushing tears of joy aside, Nodoka reached out a hand and smiled down at the little girl. "Please, Dear. Come inside. Tell me, please, tell me everything about my son. I... I haven't seen him in such a long time, and I want to know what he has been up to. I want..." She hiccoughed and blinked back some more tears of joy. "I think perhaps I should try to calm down a little before I go and visit him, hmm?" "Nnn." Hotaru took the offered hand and walked into the house. It was not quite the reception she had been expecting, but then, she was not sure what she had expected. The house, like the woman that owned it, was neat and perfectly maintained. Some tasteful and simple paintings hung on one wall, while the furniture was all elegant and perfectly positioned. Unlike her father's home, this one was very traditionally Japanese. The floor was all plain tatami mats, and the furniture was lacquered wood. Also unlike her father's home, this place spoke of both refined taste and no excessive spending of money. Most things looked like they had been cleaned or polished many times, but there was none of the expensive trinkets or vases that her father had. To Hotaru's inexpert eye it appeared as though someone cared very deeply for the house, although she failed to notice the signs of just how little income Nodoka had and how that adversely affected her ability to replace anything that became damaged or worn out. "Please, take a seat. I shall prepare some tea for us." Positioning her self on a cushion in front of the low table, Hotaru watched Nodoka walk off and nodded slightly to herself. It was easy to see where Ranma-san got her beautiful skin and hair from. Hotaru could not remember what her own mother looked like, but she hoped that when she was Nodoka-sama's age, she would age as well as Ranma-san would. The tea took a while, but when Nodoka returned she was cleaned up and as well composed as when she first opened the door. Placing a ceramic mug in front of Hotaru, Nodoka filled it with steaming green tea, then filled one for herself. Once the had each taken a sip of the hot liquid, Nodoka placed hers on the table, then sketched as short seated bow. "Please forgive me for being a poor hostess. I am afraid I have no biscuits or buns to eat while we talk. I so rarely have visitors that..." Nodoka trailed off for a moment looking embarrassed at her lack of etiquette and provisioning. "If I may, Dear, I am afraid that I did not catch your name." Now it was Hotaru's turn to blush in embarrassment. She had been invited into someone's home, and she had not even given her name. "T- Tomoe Hotaru, Saotome-sama." "Hotaru-chan... That's a pretty name. But please, you do not need to be so formal." "B-But... You're Ranma-san's mother!" Hotaru exclaimed, as though that explained everything. 'Surely the mother of someone like Ranma-san deserved all the respect you could possibly give', she thought. For a moment, Nodoka smiled in absolute bliss. To hear someone other than herself speak her son's name. Even more, to hear it said with such adulation, such respect; it made her heart sing. To have it said by a pretty young girl in reference to her son also made it all the sweeter. Reaching across the table, Nodoka placed a hand on Hotaru's. "Hotaru- chan... Please, fulfil this mother's most earnest desire. Please... Please tell me about my son... Is he everything my husband promised he would be when he took my boy away?" "I don't know what Ranma-san's father promised, Saotome-sama, but Ranma-san is the most amazing person alive! He's smart and he's funny and he is absolutely incredible!" Heaven! "Dearest was going to train our son in the way of Anything Goes Martial Arts. Do.. Do you know if my son has learnt the art well?" Hotaru clenched her hands beneath her chin and her eyes shimmered as she remembered how he had been training her. She remembered when she had watched Ranma-san fighting with Ryoga-san or the horrible demons they fought. "Ranma-san is the _best_ martial artist in all of Japan! Absolutely everyone thinks so... At least all of the smart ones do. He's so strong, and he's really, really fast! What's more he's got this thing where he sort of... umm... moves his hands like this and... Well, I can't really describe it, but no-one can beat him. Not only that, but I'm sure he knows absolutely everything when it comes to fighting. _I'm_ going to be his student!" "Oh, Ranma!" Nodoka felt her heart just bursting with pride. After all this time! After all this time, she finally learns that her son is still alive, and he is everything she ever hoped for and more. Casting a quick look at Hotaru, Nodoka tried to gauge her age. Fairly young, but then, a real man plans for the future and not just the present. "How do you know Ranma-kun, Dear?" Hotaru turned away and went a little red in the face. She was not sure how Ranma-san's mother was going to take this. "Ano... Actually, I live with him..." Pride threatened to make her heart explode. Her son! An unmarried boy and girl, living together! How manly! "Living together..." She whispered in delighted awe. "N-No, it's not like that, really! I'm staying with Kasumi-neechan and Nabiki-neechan at their home. Ranma-san was living with them!" Now Nodoka did need to brace herself. Even Genma had never been that manly. He had a hard enough time keeping up with her, but their son! Oh, their darling, manly son! Three ladies, all in the one house! Sisters nonetheless! And still he managed to fill this girl with such respect and adulation. "How old are your sisters, Dear?" "They're not really my sisters, I just like to pretend, because they treat me so nicely. Umm... I think Kasumi-neechan is nineteen, and I'm pretty sure Nabiki-neechan is seventeen or eighteen. She's very mature and intelligent." Ohhh, older women! Nodoka was impressed. Girls usually liked older men, but if her son could charm them, he must be everything she had hoped for. She wondered which one he would end up marrying. She could hardly restrain herself from crowing in delight and proclaiming her son's greatness to everyone in the neighbourhood. "Well, I shall look forward to meeting them, in that case. But please, tell me, how did you meet Ranma-kun?" A look of pain washed across Hotaru's face and she looked away from the table. "Oh, I'm sorry, Dear. Did I say something wrong?" "N-No." Hotaru braced herself and began her story. "I first met Ranma- san when he saved my life. I was... I was walking through Tokyo going to help some of these magical girls, when they turned around and tried to kill me. I... I think they would have succeeded if Ranma-san hadn't come along and saved me. You see, I didn't realise they were Sailor Senshi then. Now I know. Now I know that the Sailors want to kill me, and... and Ranma-san seems to save me every time!" Tears fell from the small girl's eyes by the time she finished. Discomforted by the girl's distress, Nodoka was still surprised by what she had heard. Although the Senshi did not always get favourable reporting in the newspaper, Nodoka thought they seemed to have their heart in the right place; most of the time. To actually believe they were trying to kill you... "It's OK, Dear. I'm sure---" Hotaru shook her head, sending tears flying. "No, it's not OK. First my Daddy was hurt by those nasty demons, now the Senshi are always trying to hurt me, and it's not fair! If... If it wasn't for Ranma-san... If Ranma-san didn't save me every time... If Ranma-san wasn't the greatest martial artist in the whole wide world... Then... Then... Then they would have gotten me..." Deciding to abandon propriety and formality, Nodoka slid around the table and took the crying girl in her arms. She had been impressed that her son was living with a young girl, but now she was beginning to see things in a different light. Perhaps Hotaru-chan had a different reason for living with her son. Her son, possibly a manly and heroic saviour of damsels deeply distressed? Could something so wonderful even be possible? When Hotaru felt like talking again, she did not release Nodoka from her tight grip but instead spoke from beside her. "It all began when Ranma-san saved me after I ran away from my Daddy. Somehow... Somehow Daddy's mean and creepy helper did something to him. I always told him that Kaolinite was bad for him, but I think she had already started to take over his mind by then. When... When I left, he wasn't even my Daddy any more. He tried to hurt me, tried to make me like he was; and my Daddy would never do that. He even said he had taken over my Daddy's body. "After that, Ranma-san found me when those horrible Sailor Senshi were trying to kill me. I was so scared, but Ranma-san jumped in from nowhere and carried me to safety. It was just like in all the manga! Ranma-san was so brave and fast! If it wasn't for him, I don't think I would be alive today." Hotaru paused for a moment, trying to sort out what was important and what was not. "That was just the first time he saved me. After that he did it again and again. Every time I go on patrol with Ranma-san and his friends, it seems like someone wants to hurt me. But Ranma-san is always there to save me, no matter how big and bad and mean they are. When I grow up, I want to be like Ranma-san. He's teaching me martial arts too, so I can be!" "Patrol? What do you mean, 'patrol'?" It was not very manly to take a little girl like Hotaru-can out looking for trouble. Her son had better have a good excuse. Talking about what Ranma did seemed to brighten Hotaru. Perhaps it was simply having something other than her own problems to think about, or more likely it was the fact that she was talking about her favourite subject. "Well, every night Ranma-san and his friends go out and patrol the city, trying to keep it safe from all of the demons, Senshi and the bad magical girls that are out there. "I'm not sure what really happened, because no-one likes to talk about it really, but I think Kasumi-neechan's little sister was killed by one of the Senshi when she was fighting off a demon. Ano... Not Nabiki- neechan, but another sister, I think her name was Akane. I never met her, but sometimes Ranma talks about her. I think he really misses her, because that's why he and Ryoga-san are doing this. I think... I think Akane-san might have been his fiancee or girlfriend, but I'm not sure. I didn't really want to ask. "At night... When it's really quiet... Sometimes I can hear him talking about her in his sleep. It's really, really sad." Nodoka closed her eyes and cursed the fact that she let Genma take away her son. By all accounts he must have done a truly stellar job raising their son, but a mother's place was beside her children. She did not even know that her son had a fiancee - and although she hoped he had many girlfriends, she could not be sure. Now she hears second hand that her son is going through a traumatic time in his life, and she is not there for him. It made her feel less of a person, less of a mother for not being able to help him in his time of need. "What about you, Dear? Why are you doing this? Why are you going on patrol with my son? Surely it is too dangerous for a young lady like yourself." For a moment Hotaru considered keeping her magical girl powers secret from Ranma-san's mother but that moment passed quickly. Hotaru being a magical girl was more of an "open secret" than anything else. Practically everyone she knew was aware of her powers. Ranma-san and all his friends, her Daddy and whoever had hurt him... By now, even the Sailor Senshi probably knew who she was, and they were just too frightened to come and attack her at the Tendo's home because Ranma-san lived there too, and they knew he would beat them all up if they made him mad. "You probably won't believe me, no-one ever does until they can see my powers, but I'm the most powerful magical girl in the whole world. I might not be able to use my attacks, but I've got a really good shield spell, and I can heal people, too. I even healed Ranma-san in a fight once. I was standing back so that I wouldn't get in anyone's way, and that meant I was able to help him." Hotaru ended on a wistful note, remembering her one real moment of triumph and glory so far. Nodding in understanding, Nodoka spoke with only a trace of condescension in her voice. "Ahh. You want to be with my son, so you follow him wherever he goes. While I'm sure I can understand that, I do not think I really approve of you getting into fights. It's just not proper for young girls like you." "The Sailor Senshi do." "The Sailor Senshi are..." She could not exactly say myths; while she had thought that was the case, Hotaru evidently did not. "... a special case." Silence descend for a time, with neither person quiet sure how to continue the conversation. Abruptly, Nodoka gave a start and covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Oh, please forgive me. I just realised that this entire time I have been wearing you out with stories about my son, but I know nothing about you. Please, tell me about yourself." "Ano... My name is Tomoe Hotaru, and I'm twelve years old...." Nodoka waited patiently for Hotaru to continue. When the silence become uncomfortable and Hotaru began to shift nervously, Nodoka tried to suggest something to talk about. "That's lovely, Dear, but what about hobbies or sports that you like?" "I... don't really like sports, and I've never really had any hobbies. Actually, that's not quite right. I'm starting to learn martial arts now! That way I can be just as strong as Ranma-san or Shampoo-san. Wow, I can finally say I do a sport! Isn't that great?" "That's lovely, Hotaru-chan. I'm sure my husband would say you chose the right thing to do. Personally, I think a young lady like yourself should devote herself more to the womanly arts and making herself a better bride, but I can understand why you are interested in martial arts. Anything that could get you closer to that fine, manly son of mine, right?" Hotaru went as red as the printing on Nodoka's kimono. "That's not the only reason!" Then she went even redder as she realised what she had said. When Nodoka finished her good natured laugh at Hotaru's discomfort, she continued to try and get more details on both Hotaru and her son. As the hands of the clock seemed to sprint around the face, Hotaru spoke only little about herself. She no longer went to school because her father taught where she used to go, and she did not have any friends to miss. Having so little to say about herself, Hotaru more than made up for it with her verbosity on the subject of Saotome Ranma. When she spoke about him, Hotaru was quite willing and able to talk for hours. As the hands of the clock sneaked past two in the afternoon, Hotaru suddenly realised she was running late for her lessons with Ranma. They may only be a chance to walk together and improve her endurance at the moment, but she had been assured that everything was training. That meant that even just talking a leisurely walk with her idol was really improving her martial arts skills. Bowing to her hostess and explaining why she needed to rush off, Hotaru made her way to the entry hall. As she pulled on her shoes, Nodoka stood behind her and waited patiently. "Hotaru-chan, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing me this wonderful news about my son. I know I am imposing upon you, but is there any chance that I may be able to join you this evening, so that I can meet Ranma? It has been ten long years since I have seen my boy." Hotaru was mortified. How could she have forgotten to ask Ranma-san's mother to come and visit. "Ahh! Saotome-sama! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I forgot to ask you to come over for dinner before we leave. I meant to, honestly! That was why I came here in the first place. Please, have this invitation!" Bending to almost a right angle at the waist, Hotaru held a white envelope out to her hostess with both hands. She did not look up until Nodoka took it, and even then she was careful, somehow afraid that Ranma-san's mother would be angry with her for forgetting something like that. Instead, tears flowed down the woman's cheeks as she read what was written. The note was only a short one, but it politely invited Saotome Nodoka to join her husband, son and all their friends for dinner and a reunion at the Tendo Dojo, address provided. Hotaru had intended it to be a special reunion, and she had written the note in her best handwriting, even going to so far as to borrow some nice paper from Nabiki-neechan. Not only that, but Kasumi-neechan had offered to cook something very special if Hotaru managed to really find Ranma's mother. Choked up by happiness, Nodoka's eyes streamed tears of joy. Unable to speak, she could only nod silently before gathering the small girl in another grateful hug. Eventually, as her voice returned, she whispered "Thank you" over and over again. When Hotaru was finally able to leave, Nodoka closed the door and breathed deeply. As she tried to sort out her overwhelming emotions she leaned against the hallway wall. She could barely stand or think straight because she was so happy but she had so much to do. In just a few hours she needed to clean herself up and prepare a good kimono for her meeting. Just as importantly, she needed to take down Genma's solemn promise where the document stood in her family shrine. Every day she prayed to the shrine, prayed that Genma would succeed in making Ranma a man among men, and that his conditions on the contract would be met. Today, she would finally be able to burn that horrible piece of paper. Her small guest had left no doubt in her mind as to Ranma's manliness, and she would so enjoy being able to spend a single day without the fear of needing to behead her own son for failure to comply. Walking towards the bathroom so that she could clean up, Nodoka sighed. Only a few hours to go, and she would be with her son again. An unquestionable man among men. * * * Kuno Kodachi sat at the base of her statue and ran a hand along one of the finely carved legs. In all of her sixteen years on this planet, she could not remember ever seeing a finer or more beautiful statue. The gorgeous, stunning and refined lady of the statue had grown in size under her care and friendship. Now the black crystal vision of perfection almost reached the ceiling of the room, and was a good two and a half meters tall. The statue also no longer looked like the dumpy old woman it had when she first saw it. Now the statue looked like Kodachi in all her glory. Focusing on happy thoughts, Kodachi stood and ran her hand along the statue's arm. Where before the crystal hand had been empty, it now contained a rose. A black rose, made of the finest, sharpest crystal Kodachi could envisage. She had quickly discovered how to make the statue grow. It had been easy in so many ways, since nurturing plants worked in almost exactly the same fashion. Focus on happy thoughts, on bright, clean, clear images of a better future and the crystal would respond as you desired. Naturally this technique required that you could focus on two completely separate ideas at the same time - the happy thoughts and the guiding path for the crystal - but being of noble Kuno blood Kodachi had no problem acting as though she had multiple people running around inside her skull, each doing their own thing. Deciding that she had made the statue tall enough, she wanted to keep it growing, and came up with a new plan. Rather than crafting something of pure beauty - her own image - she would expand the base, building up an entire scene from the crystal. Kneeling down again in front of the black crystalline mass, Kodachi let her mind focus, for once allowing the guiding influence and her happy thoughts to become one and the same. It began as a bulge of black crystal near the statue's feet, but shortly the mass began to take shape, adopting the lines of the happy thought that Kodachi had spent so much time focusing on recently. To her, it was an image of how her Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics match should have ended. Her in triumph, with the despicable pig-tailed harridan at her feet. The Pig-Tailed Girl's face was now clearly visible in the crystal. Everything from her wide open mouth in a silent scream to the lines around her eyes spoke of limitless fear and pain. This was Kodachi's happy thought. The Pig-Tailed Girl in pain. The Pig-Tailed Girl suffering. The Pig-Tailed Girl humiliated in public and cowering at the feet of the mighty Kuno Kodachi. It was a happy thought that Kodachi had treasured for many long months, and it was one that allowed her to craft and beautify her statue. Simply watching the statue take form brought forth more and more detail of the Pig-Tailed Girl's predicament into her mind. This in turn made it take form in black crystal, leading Kodachi on to new imagined heights of merciless sadism and torture. If only it were within her power to have the real Pig-Tailed Girl at her mercy like this. To have her bound and scarred, her wounds forever denying her the beauty needed to tempt Ranma-sama. To have her begging for mercy that would never come. Kodachi would gleefully start with the Pig-Tailed Girl and then work her way onto every other girl that would dare to try and seduce her beloved Ranma-sama. She would make them pay for their sins like the pitiful figure in the statue. Oh, how she would make them pay. "So that is how one of our Black Crystals came to be activated." The voice was deep and gravely. But cold. So very cold. Cold like the blackest reaches of space. Cold like the depths of the ocean. Cold like even a minute without the love of her darling Ranma-sama. It was a voice that bred despair and fear. It sent shivers up your spine and made Kodachi think of her dear mother's last hours. She loved the voice from the first moment she heard it. If her Ranma- sama could possibly be any more perfect, he would possess that voice. Despite the way she treasured the voice, and knew she would dream longingly of it when she slept tonight, Kodachi turned around with imperial slowness to cast down whomever would be so bold as to enter the halls of Kuno uninvited. When she reached the owner of the voice and appraised its menial appearance, she decided that the body and garb that went with the voice left much to be desired. The man, if indeed it was a man, wore a loose grey cloak that covered him head to toe. The cloak, which almost seemed to be made out of shadows itself, was all she could really see of the man other than his hands. He was seated on the floor in a cross-legged manner, and the cowl was pulled far forwards, sending his face into impenetrable darkness. The man's hands had long, pale fingers that never quite managed to remain still. The hands - almost deathly white - were perfectly clean as though they belonged to an embalmed corpse. But no corpse's hands had ever moved so freely around the shifting, multicoloured crystal ball that seemed to hover in the man's lap. Those hands did not seem to achieve anything with their motion, but they did not stop, and he did not speak again. "Of course you realise, peasant, that you are trespassing on the lands of the Kuno." Kodachi turned up her nose at him in an insulting and upper class fashion. "You must forgive me, Kuno Kodachi-sama. I have come here only to view your work. To see what dark energy could have fuelled such growth in my crystal." "You know my name." It was not a question. Someone of a Kuno's rank did not question minions. They simply ordered them. "I know a great many things. It does appear that I did not truly appreciate your talent before becoming witness myself. Until this day, I believed myself to be the only one capable of shaping the Dark Crystal to my designs." Kodachi laughed in her most ladylike manner. She always thought it was important for lesser people to know when they had amused her. Reaching over to where the Pig-Tailed Girl knelt in unending tribute to pain and retribution, Kodachi extended her hand and rested it on the crystal for a moment. Thinking about a fitting end to intruders, Kodachi closed her hand around a newly created pommel and drew forth a long shard of crystal. With the beauty of thought and action becoming one, the shard formed into a gleaming, razor sharp sword, while the Pig-Tailed Girl's side developed a matching sized open, bleeding wound to match where the weapon had been drawn forth. Pointing her new sword at the grey cloaked intruder, Kodachi gave a short laugh. "As you can see, I can cause the crystal to do whatever I desire. Unfortunately for you, you will not be able to see the final form of my masterpiece. For - as with all intruders this far into our home - you shall not be heard from again. I would ask a servant to perform the service, but I fear they would not enjoy the work sufficiently." She could not see his face, but Kodachi could swear she felt the unnamed man smile at her. Without a single change in his actions or a single word, the sword melted back from him. Flowing like it was alive, the crystal seemed to build upon itself until she held not a sword, but a miniature of her own statue. Complete down to the tiniest detail, the gorgeous work of herself with a cowering Pig-Tailed Girl was all that remained of her weapon. "As you can see, I have some skill in how to work the crystal... _My_ crystal. You would do well never to forget that, Kodachi-sama. It is I that controls the Dark Crystal of Nemesis. No other. I may allow you to use it, but it always I that am the master." Kodachi frowned then abruptly dropped the miniature on the cold marble floors where it shattered into a million pieces. "It would appear that you are right... For a peasant, you are most tiring and tenacious. However..." Silently, Kodachi stepped aside from the seated man and gestured to her work of artistry. "However, you plainly do not have my skill or talent. I am not blind to the happenings of our fair city, and I recognised the form of the statue on the news. Twenty meters tall and breaking through a building so that all can see, and yet you still persist in such crude sculpture? Honestly, even a peasant such as yourself should have some appreciation for art." If the man resented her remark, he gave no sign of it. Over the last month and a half, Emerald had been placing statues of herself at power points located throughout the city. Wherever she activated one, it would immediately begin to tap into the dark energy surrounding it while simultaneously pulling more power from the massive Dark Crystal that form the meteor Nemesis far in the outer reaches of Earth's solar system. Naturally, as the energy came in, the statue grew until it was obvious to even the likes of the Sailor Senshi. At times like those, someone would turn up to try and thwart their plans by destroying the statue. Occasionally the flashier episodes like these would be captured on the news, and the world would get to see the Senshi's or the Death Buster's victory over him. However no-one had ever seen his minions' victories in placing non-activated crystals like the one Kodachi had found. Only when the Dark Moon Family was ready would they activate those. Only then would the residents of Tokyo know true fear. "I regret that it is true, I lack your... finesse... with the Dark Crystal. Where I can control and wield the powers it offers, I do not have your subtlety. I can cause the Crystal to copy your work, but I cannot create it myself. The statues I made for my servant are functional, but they do not have the... the detail or the loving care that yours does. I can see in this a degree of passion and accuracy that deserves to be recognised." "Ohh! Ho ho ho ho ho ho!" A lady should be polite enough to hide her mouth when she laughed, and Kodachi was no exception. Head thrown back in laughter, her left hand was held in front of her face so that she could enjoy herself without any impropriety. "I can assure you that the skills of any Kuno, myself in particular, far exceed that of any commoner." Again there was that sensation that the hooded figure was smiling condescendingly. "I will concede to your skill, Kodachi-sama, but I cannot concede to your power." "Oh, really? You could doubt the strength of Kuno Kodachi?" In a flash, a ribbon of crystal appeared in her hands. With practice it was becoming easier to control, and her anger with the man that mocked her provided ample fuel to make the crystal grow to the length and flexibility she desired. Spinning the crystal ribbon over her head like she had practiced so often in gymnastics, Kodachi began striking out to either side of the man in black. "Since you really want to come into my home and then dare to question my abilities in any way... Take this! And this! And this!" With cracks like a bull whip, the crystal ribbon sounded to either side of the man. Throughout it all, he sat there, unchanged. At no time did her dodge, nor did his hands ever cease their erratic movement around his glowing ball. "That is not the true power of the Dark Crystal Kodachi-sama. For all your artistry, only I can open you to the true power of Nemesis. Only once the crystal is truly activated can it draw on the power needed to do this..." Then his hand did stop its movement. Briefly the man raised his right hand palm forwards and directed a brilliant beam of dark purple energy down the hall. Attracted by the beam and the tremendous explosion, Kodachi's head whipped around. Certainly, her guest had just made a massive hole in one of their walls, but that was something she could forgive. Her Ranma-sama was prone to doing the same thing when he visited, but she had never seen him do anything like this man had done. How could this man possess energy and power capable of smashing walls and demolishing her foes with equal ease? She must have it! As she turned back to the man, her mouth hanging open slightly, Kodachi saw her statue. The statue she had poured so much energy into over recent days had shrunk. Where before it had been a good two and a half metres tall, now it was barely waist height. "W-What happened to my beautiful statue?" The hooded figure gave a low chuckle that caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up in a most enticing manner as shivers ran up and down her spine. "That is the true power of the Dark Crystal. That crystal you are so fond of it a shard from Nemesis, an asteroid floating through the outer reaches of our solar system. An asteroid composed entirely of negative energy. "As you fed your negative energy into the statue, you caused it to grow. Hate, envy, pain, fear. All these negative feelings are the energy source of the Dark Crystal. But all that energy is useless unless it can be used, and only I can grant the permission to use that power. For I am the Wiseman, and I am the master of the Dark Crystal of Nemesis. I, and those people I grant permission to may use the power of the Dark Crystal. That is what happened to your statue. When I used its power, it shrunk, but it is still there. Nemesis is filled with dark energy like this, more power than would be needed to cover this entire planet." There was silence. "Give it to me." "I said give me the power of the Dark Crystal, you fool. I am Kuno Kodachi, and I demand that you give me this power." "I am willing to give you access to the power... On some conditions..." Kodachi's eyes narrowed. She knew this man was crafty. She could feel it. The man, Wiseman he called himself, oozed the same confidence as Tendo Nabiki. No doubt he was just as trustworthy... But that did not matter, Kuno Kodachi was willing to deal with anyone she needed to so that she could acquire what was hers by right. If that meant she needed to accept his conditions now and then renegotiate them later, so be it. Once she had access to all of that lovely power and had it under her control, she knew she would entirely capable of taking control in the manner that befitted someone of her station. "And what sort of conditions would you seek to impose upon the eldest daughter of the House of Kuno?" "Perhaps I should elucidate upon you what you would be getting in exchange for your compliance. When I give you access to the powers of the Dark Crystal, you will be capable of so much more than that pitiful attack that I just demonstrated. That attacked drew its power from the statue behind you, and that statue is tiny. Filled only with the dark energies that you had been able to imbue in it, there was barely enough power to be able to knock a hole in the wall. "Nemesis is an asteroid, a crystal of pure dark energy kilometres long. That much dark energy gathered together is a self-generating source of hatred, greed, violence, anger and depression. All of the dark emotions that cloud the human soul are manifest there, growing upon each other to create the ultimate weapon. Nemesis is the ultimate power, and with it you could achieve anything you desired. All I ask in return is that you obey me and aid in my bringing that power to earth." "Such power..." Kodachi uttered. "Such power within my grasp. With that sort of power, my darling Ranma-sama would worship me as a Queen. I could crush all of my enemies. I could do anything I desired! Ranma- sama would be mine! I, Kuno Kodachi would be the Queen of Tokyo, no... Japan. Better yet, the whole world!" The Wiseman chuckled softly as her laugh rang out, shaking the walls of the house with its intensity. "Yes, Kodachi-sama. You would work quite well beside Prince Diamond as both of you serve me bringing the dark energy into this world." Mid-cackle, Kodachi suddenly went silent. "_Prince_ Diamond?" The Wiseman said nothing while she stared at him. "Prince Diamond, hmm?... I'm not sure if I find that acceptable. For if I am to be Queen and Ranma-sama is to be by my side, I hardly think that it is fitting that there is another man calling himself 'Prince'. I am afraid that you will have to get rid of him. It's just not acceptable." That cause him to pause. Before he came to see Kodachi, he had considered countless options. Everything from her being an unassailable agent of good to her falling into his clutches as quickly and easily as she had. However, he had never considered she would take exception to Prince Diamond without ever meeting him. "Kodachi-sama, his name is just that, a name. Prince Diamond is no more a prince than the next man in the street. As you can well imagine, our highly public positions combined with the need to induce fear and respect in our opponents has lead many in our position to adopt pseudonyms. Diamond's minions are known as Emerald and Rubius, establishing a pattern at the same time as showing their subservience to him." With a disdainful sniff, Kodachi turned and walked down the hallway slightly. As she walked, she tapped her chin in though, unconsciously talking aloud. "What you say has merit. I begin to understand why you are styled as the Wiseman... Perhaps what I need is something similar. It would hardly do to reveal my true name to all of the plebeians and commoners filling out city, lest they become jealous and torment my dear brother unduly... "While I could not doubt use a name to place me in ascendancy over this Prince Diamond, he may well be a useful pawn for the time being. Until I have taken full control of this marvellous power, I may need to rely upon these cretins in some way. Very well then, I shall wait a time until I declare myself Supreme Queen Goddess Over All. It would not due to intimidate my erstwhile allies too much initially." Reaching the end of one block of thought, Kodachi turned and began back towards the calmly waiting Wiseman. "I am thinking that I should begin to indoctrinate people at an early stage to my stature and magnificence. Something more refined that my current appellation. Wiseman! Attend me! From this day forth, I shall be known as... Black Lady!" For an instant, the Wiseman's hands stopped their endless motion over his crystal ball. "That... Would not be advisable, Kodachi-sama. Unfortunately, I had not yet informed you that I recently recruited a lady of most extraordinary power. While her craft and meticulous, precise skill pale in comparison to yours, she wields power with a skill unusual in one so young. This person, who travels by the name of Black Lady, is unlikely to be pleased with your choice of names, and her ability to direct the power of Nemesis is second only to mine. May I beg you to consider another name, Kodachi-sama?" "Humph. Well, if some commoner has already begun to sully the name with her usage, it would hardly be fitting for someone as fine as myself to use. Very well, then. As for so many years I have been the shining young start of the high school gymnastics circuit, a flower amongst weeds, I shall grow beyond being simply the Black Rose of Saint Hebereke High School. I shall now be... The Black Rose! Soon to be the Supreme Queen Goddess Over All!" Once again Kodachi threw her head back and laughed. Obviously this was some sort of sign. She had worked so hard to find a name that would instil both fear and respect in her peers, and now she can take that name onto the stage of the world to begin the next act in the drama that was her life. The Wiseman smiled, he was very happy. The Black Rose would make a fine addition to his forces. Physically she was beautiful, her demeanour was cool and cruel, the only thing that came close to matching her ego was her considerable skill, and she was mercifully free from the burdens of intelligence. As far as the Wiseman was concerned, only one person in the Dark Moon Family had any business thinking, and that was him. Prince Diamond could play at being the leader all he liked, so long as he and his followers obeyed the Wiseman. He felt sure that this Kuno Kodachi would follow his gentle guidance, and when the time came to replace Prince Diamond, she would be a fitting pawn in his downfall. Joining the Black Rose as she laughed, the Wiseman was a bass rumble beside her soprano. Even while they laughed and enjoyed themselves, the Wiseman kept thinking of what needed to be done to ensure his success. The next thing on his list was to grant the Black Rose her new powers, and to give her a taste of what it really meant to swear fealty to someone of his power. Reaching out with a mental command, the Wiseman activated the statue, removing the metaphysical stopcocks that prevented it from sucking up dark energy from all around. As soon as he did so, alternating rings of dark purple and black began to pulse out from the centre. With each beat, with each wave of power being drawn in, the statue grew. Rather than taking a whole night to grow to roof size as it had under Kodachi's ministrations, it now took only moments. "Ahh, that feels so good. Surely this place must be the site of a great and abiding evil to provide so much dark energy for my statue. Come, Black Rose. Join me, feel the power that is now yours to command!" As he said the words, the Wiseman opened a connection from Nemesis to the Kodachi. As with evil throughout the centuries, he could offer the temptation, but he could not force you into true evil. He might be able to control the minds of the weak fools that surrounded him, but even then it would be him controlling the dark power, not them. True corruption, true conversion to evil did not come through control, but through submission. He could offer Kodachi the power, but only she could take it. When Kodachi felt the massive well of power being offered to her, she did not even stop to consider. This was all of the power she had ever dreamed of. This to the power to achieve anything and everything that she had ever desired. With power like this at her disposal, she would never need to justify her actions again! Without a backwards glance, Kodachi became the Black Rose; a servant of evil, minion of the Wiseman. "Oh, yes!" The Black Rose cried in delicious ecstasy as wave after wave of power coursed through her body. Shaking from the pleasure, her knees went weak and her eyes rolled back as pleasure more intense than any orgasm washed through her. "Yes, Wiseman! I submit! I submit! Ohhhh!" Deep inside his cowl, the Wiseman turned a curious eye to his latest disciple. That was not the usual reaction to unlimited power. Some people wept, others crowed with glory. This was the first time he had seen someone... well... someone do whatever the Black Rose was doing. A minute later, as the statue of Kodachi and the begging Pig-Tailed Girl crashed through the ceiling of the room, the Black Rose managed a partial return to her senses. She still twitched slightly, and her mouth was open as she gave small, shallow gasps for air. "Oh, Wiseman... That felt sooo good. I can feel it. I can feel the power throughout my whole body. I can feel it _everywhere_... and it feels _so_ good. Let me use it! Please, Wiseman! Let me use it. I want to feel the power. I want to feel it rush through me again until... Ohhh... I want to use it so much!" 'Yes', the Wise man thought. 'The Black Rose was an excellent find. It is so rare in this day and age to find someone who honestly covets power for its own sake. Everyone, Diamond, Black Lady, the Senshi; they desire power for what it can give them. This girl, the Black Rose, she appreciates power and darkness for themselves. That alone shall make her great.' "Yes, my disciple. You can use all the power you desire. The more dark energy you bring into this world, the more that you can use. Feel it! Feel the power inside the crystal. Feel how it can become a living, breathing entity! Feel how you can summon forth your own Droid to do your bidding!" The Black Rose could feel it. The initial wash of power had receded into a constant burn of pleasure in her womb and a tingling along her limbs, but she could feel what the Wiseman described. There it was, housed within the statue, a new life, waiting for her command to come forth and wreck her will upon the world. She was about to release her very first Droid when she hesitated and examined the statue more closely. No... To release it the way the Wiseman had showed her was inelegant. For the Black Rose deserved a Droid no less perfect than she was, a living machine of pure evil no longer bound to the source that created it. If she followed the Wiseman's directions, the Droid's death would destroy her lovely statue, and that would never do. "Come forth, my slave!" Pointing her hand at the massive statue of herself - already six metres tall and beginning to break through the roof over the second floor - the Black Rose beckon her servant. Slowly, as though under duress, the crystal shimmered and moved. With steps that were slow and halting at first but faster with each passing second, a Droid came from the statue. Fully grown, it was a good two and a half metres tall, with its rounded head brushing the raised ceiling of the room. "I am impressed, my child." Indeed he was. The Wiseman had never even considered it was possible to do what the Black Rose had just done. He already knew the woman would not have Black Lady's ability to directly unleash the energy - the Black Rose would be lucky if she could match Emerald or Rubius in that regard - but her talent for deft manipulation was extraordinary. Although he could not yet understand how she did it, the Wiseman already knew she had created a Droid without the inherent weakness of its earlier brethren. Under the Black Rose's guidance, the one statue alone would be able to produce a constant stream of Droids until the entire city was overrun! Assuming of course she managed to control the convulsions of pleasure that had her lying on the floor thrashing. Perhaps she enjoyed her work just a little too much. The Black Rose was just getting her excitement under control and was trying to clamber back to her feet when a voice rang out through the purple lit room. "Hold! What form of deviltry hast thou embarked upon this time, twisted sister of mine? Know now that I, Kuno Tatewaki, the Blue Thunder of Tokyo, am sworn to defeat evil in all its forms!" * * * "You know, you've been even happier than usual today, Hotaru. Something good happen today I don't know about?" They were coming home from their walk, and Hotaru had not stopped smiling the entire time. Even when they had walked up the hill and her breath came in short, sharp pants, she had been smiling. Simply the fact that she had kept up the entire time and not needed to rest was enough to make Hotaru smile normally, but today she had met Ranma-san's mother and invited her to dinner. That was even more cause to smile, but since it was going to be a surprise, she did not want to tell him that. Looking away from Ranma for a moment, Hotaru kept smiling as the entered the grounds of the Tendo home. "I'm just happy to be with you, Ranma-san. I know that if I keep this up, I'll really be able to help you someday. And maybe, someday, I'll be able to help my Daddy too." "That's the idea. Everyday you just get better than the one before. Sooner than you know it, you be as fit and tough as the rest of the girls here. 'Course you won't be as good as me, but hey, who is?" Others - particularly short haired, short tempered tomboys - might have taken that as an insult and tried to beat him over the head for it, but Hotaru simply looked up with adoration in her eyes. "I know I'll never be as good as you, Ranma-san, no-one is. But just you watch! I'll make you proud and someday I'll be just as good as Shampoo-san or Ukyo-san." Considering how far ahead his fiancees were already, Ranma thought here proposal was as likely as him ever giving up his manhood to live as a girl permanently. He was preparing to say as much when the smell of food wafted into the entryway were they were removing their dirty street shoes. Distracted by the thought of Kasumi's cooking, Ranma was fortunate enough to not make his comment, and forever crush the hopes of the young girl. After a quick wash and clean up, Ranma and Hotaru followed their noses and arrived in the living room to join the rest of the group as they sat down for a meal. Even with one space vacated around the table, there was not enough room for everyone to sit next to the food with so many martial artists there. Consequently Ryoga and Shampoo sat beside one of the doors, nursing large plates of food while the rest of the people sat in reach of the dishes. When Hotaru sat down, Nabiki looked up from where she was wolfing down some rice. Normally she did not eat much at meals, but being outside raising money all day made her hungry. Worse still, she normally had a heavy diet of snack food to keep her going between classes or after school. Selling fake wards from morning to evening prevented the snacking she was used to, and consequently she was as hungry as any of the fighters by the time evening came around. Watching the great piles of food disappear used to make her angry at Ranma and his freeloading father, but now Nabiki took it as a sign of hope. People this hungry must have been training hard, and would have the energy needed to fight evil again this night. The fact that it was her efforts that provided the money to put food on the table made the meal taste even better. She could not fight, but she could contribute in other ways to eventually achieving the revenge her sister so deserved. "So, Hotaru-chan, did you have a good day?" Looking up at Nabiki, Hotaru's eyes flicked to Ranma then back again. "I did, Nabiki-neechan. I went out this morning, and I've been looking forwards to dinner ever since." Nabiki gave her own brief smile. She knew what Hotaru had been up to, and the idea of having Ranma's mother around appealed. Perhaps Saotome- san would be willing to help out Kasumi in the kitchen, or even provide a much needed womanly touch in the home. It might be mostly filled with women, but Ukyo, Shampoo and female Ranma's obsession with fighting hardly seemed like the calm balance she remembered as a child with their own mother around. Nabiki was about to say something else when there was a knocking at the door. Rising from her seat, Kasumi moved to the door. "I'll get that." No objection came from the others, most of whom were too busy eating to have heard anything. When Kasumi opened the door, she found a tall, serene woman standing there. She wore a beautiful kimono patterned with flowers done in gentle colours against a white background. In her hands she bore a small box - the sort you would get from a bakery or sweets store - and on her back was a long bundled item. The elegant woman gave a bow. "Excuse me for interrupting. I am looking for Tomoe Hotaru. Is she available?" Kasumi smiled and stepped aside so that she could invite the woman in. "Yes, just a moment and I will get her for you." Just then, the girl in question stepped past Kasumi and took one of the woman's hands. "Saotome-sama! You've come! I didn't tell Ranma-san you were coming, because I wanted it to be a surprise. Please, come in! We're having dinner, so there is plenty of food available." The woman stepped into the entrance way and removed her zori, the traditional footwear that went with her kimono. Giving another bow to Kasumi, she made the anxious Hotaru wait a few more moments by presenting the box. "Good evening. Please take these as a gesture of my appreciation for having me here. My name is Saotome Nodoka. I am Ranma's mother." "Oh my! Please, come in. You're most welcome here. Ranma-kun and Saotome-san are in the dining room." Giving a smile, Nodoka allowed Hotaru to pull her through the house. Upon entering the dining room, Nodoka was astounded by the crowd of people and weapons there. It seemed as though every second person had some sort of weapon sitting by them, and she could tell by the way that they sat and watched her, most of they young people here were martial artists like her husband. Eyes roving the room, Nodoka tried to recognise her son and husband. It should have been an easy task considering the fact that there were only three men there, but she did not succeed. There was a boy with long black hair. He might have been her son, but her son did not have bad eyesight, and this boy had on some of the thickest glasses she had ever seen. Equally, the Chinese cast to his features ruled him out. Across the room from him was a heavy set boy. Nodoka would have been surprised if he was her son. The boy looked rough and common, a burly brawler, not at all like the lean powerhouse of a man that she had married. The last man in the room she recognised immediately. Tendo Soun had not changed greatly over the years, and still retained the same air of calm, despite the fact that he was eating dinner next to a panda. In most houses, having a panda present - let alone one holding a sign disclaiming "Hello complete stranger" would be cause for concern, but she remembered Soun as being an unflappable rock of a man, solid and dependable in all situations. The decade or more since they had last met obviously had not changed him one iota. Looking down at the small back haired girl beside her, Nodoka forced a smile to her face. "I'm sorry, Dear. Where is my son?" Hotaru blinked and pointed at the damp, red-haired girl glaring at the panda. "That's him." Nodoka smiled indulgently, but with a trace of strain. "Hotaru-chan, that's a girl. My son is a boy." Wide eyed, Hotaru looked at Ranma. "You mean you couldn't always turn into a girl, Ranma-san?" "Huh?" The red-head said. Getting up, the short, buxom girl walked over to where Hotaru was talking to the guest. "Didn't I ever tell you how I got cursed? Humph. Guess I didn't." Turning so that she could look up at the tall lady with the dark, wine- red hair, Ranma narrowed her eyes in concentration. "You know, you look real familiar. Do I know you?" "Ranma-san!" Hotaru sounded scandalised. "This is your mother!" "Huh? My mother?" Nervously, as though she could not believe what she was seeing, Nodoka slowly reached out one hand. "R-Ranma-kun... Is that really you?" "M-Mum?" With a sudden yelp, Ranma gained much needed inches and masculinity. A quick glance to his side showed Nabiki once again wearing the habitual smirk that she seemed to have lost since Akane's passing. "You can pay me for the hot water some other time, Saotome." Nodoka's eyes went as wide as dinner plates. In front of her very eyes, the short red-haired girl had changed into a boy. No. More than a boy, a man. A man with hair as black as pitch, and eyes as blue as the sky. Where the girl had been short and cute, the man who replaced her was her height and exuded a strength and confidence that could only come from true inner strength. "Ranma! It _is_ you!" Most importantly, the man bore a face she would never forget, that of her own son. Years had changed him from the cuddly little boy he had been when she last saw him, but there was no mistaking the man who had grown from her own flesh. Engulfed in a hug, Ranma felt a million memories stirring from where that had been hidden for many long years. The smell, the feeling, the comfort that came from being held by the one person that could never be replaced in the world. When he spoke, it was almost a sob of joy, almost a prayer of thanks. "Mum..." Watching the joyous reunion, only one pair of eyes managed to remain dry. Even Mousse and Ryoga, once sworn enemies of Ranma felt an unfamiliar stinging in their eyes followed by a blurring of sight and a tightness in their chest. Nabiki, once known for her cynical and icy exterior found herself as moved by the experience as her sister. Kasumi - a secret aficionado of late night tear-jerker movies watched while consuming bowls of ice cream - had tears streaming down her face as she hugged Nabiki and Hotaru. To see Ranma reunited with his mother after such time, and to feel the love between the two of them was enough to move anyone. Quite literally, the sight of Ranma being hugged by Nodoka was enough to move Genma. Moving as quietly as a panda can, the man drifted out the back of the room. 'Nodoka has seen the boy change.' Was the only thought running through his teeny-tiny panda sized brain. 'Nodoka has seen the boy change.' In Genma's limited world view, there could only be one result of such a terrible action. While people cried over the reunion at the moment, he knew that all too soon they would be crying over Ranma's corpse. Ranma was too honourable to run away from the seppeku pledge. When his mother revealed their pledge to commit suicide if the boy was not a 'manly man', it would all be over. Ranma would stab himself in the belly, and No-chan would lop his head off. That would be the end of Ranma, and all because of that rotten curse. 'Couldn't they boy have figured out why his father had not taken him home?' Just because Ranma was willing to lay down his life for honour, it did not mean that Saotome Genma was. He admitted that the curse might have had something to do with his fault, but surely that did not mean he needed to follow up his side of the pledge. Genma had done the best he could to raise the boy. What's more, he was needed here so that he could train the others. Without him, how would they ever win against the forces of evil? Yes, it was much better that he sneak out now, then return later - preferably once they had cleaned up after his son finished. Genma was most of the way to the wall of the Tendo compound when he heard a voice call out behind him. "There he is, Mum. Pop got curse to become a panda the same time I was cursed to become a girl." Genma briefly held up a sign saying 'Traitor' then turned and ran for the wall. He was scrambling up the side - quite a trick for a panda of his generous bulk - when Nodoka's voice rang out. "Saotome Genma... If that is you, then stop now, or I will hunt you down like the beast you are!" The whole room went quiet at the sound of Nodoka's voice. Where it had carried nothing but love for her long lost son, it now contained nothing but steel. Ten years of nothing but fear and dread put authority into her voice that no training or martial arts could ever teach. When she spoke, the panda stopped, hesitated, thought about going on, then turned back to face the music. Nodoka took her arms from around Ranma, but she did not release him entirely. Holding tightly to one hand as though afraid she might suddenly lose him again, the tall red-head walked out onto the porch at the back. The panda, her husband, had nervously walked back to the house side of the Koi pond, and was nervously shuffling its feet. "Ranma-kun... Son... I saw what that girl did to you earlier. Was that water that caused you to return to your true, manly form? If so, would you be so kind as to have one of your pretty young lady friends provide some more? Although I have not seen you in so long, I have not seen my husband in ten years either. Besides which, pandas have never been known for giving clear explanations for their actions." Before Ranma could even open his mouth the eldest Tendo daughter walked past her carrying a large yellow kettle. "Don't worry, Saotome-san. We always keep a good supply of hot water for Ranma and his father." As steam billowed up around the panda and a rotund man in a white Gi was revealed, Nodoka's eyes widened. She was shocked even thought she had seen it happen only a minute prior as a strange girl - almost the splitting image of the little girl pictures Nodoka had once seen of her own mother - changed into her son. The man standing by the pond pushed his bandanna back into perfect position on his head and gasped slightly. "Please, Kasumi. Not quite that hot." "Genma, Genma, Genma." Nodoka shook her head slowly back and forwards as she walked towards him. So that her son would not need to follow her out into the lawn and dirty his feet, she release his hand, but he still stayed nearby. When she stood in front of the man she had married eighteen years ago, Nodoka could hardly believe that the day had finally arrived. The day she was finally reunited with the man she had loved more than life itself. SLAP! The sound of her palm on Genma's cheek rang like a gunshot in the quiet neighbourhood. Reeling from the open-handed blow, Genma fell to a half- crouch looking up at her though the finger of one hand that gingerly touched the stinging side of his face. "Genma, how could you? So... So indescribably close to perfection, but you had to let something happen. How could you let my little boy get cursed? You must have done a stupendous job raising him other than that. He is an almost perfect man, but you let his happen. How? How Genma? How?" The room was silent as everyone tried to understand what she was saying. She had only just met Ranma and she was saying what a wonderful parent Genma must have been? Surely that could not be possible. She had never even seen Ranma fight - most people considered that his only strong suit - and yet she thought he was perfect? Ranma had more rough edges than a crumpled piece of sandpaper. There were even days when Kasumi had a hard time not saying something nasty about him, and that stretched the very realms of probability. "It... It was a training accident, No-chan... The boy and I were training in China when it happened. There were no warnings! Nothing! We were lucky to escape with our lives! Honestly! Why, we were lucky to get away with just the curses! If I hadn't---" "Dearest, you're babbling." Genma shut his mouth with a snap. Whether his son knew it or not, their lives still hung in the balance. "A... About the pledge, No-chan... Do you... That is, the curse..." Nodoka's eyes widened and she placed herself protectively between Ranma and his father. "Dearest! Shame on you! How could you even say such a thing?! The curse is a blemish, I can't deny that, but how could you, of all people, imply that our son is not manly? You raised him!" "Nonononono!" Genma spluttered denials like a machinegun. Despite his wife's fervent defence of their son, he was still worried she might change her mind and decide that he was not a man among men. "He's a man! He's a man! I just... wanted to hear your reasoning." "My son, living in a house surrounded by beautiful women, goes out every night to fight the forces of darkness. My manly son, torn by the loss of a girl he loved dearly, has raised an army of martial artists who are willing to fight by his side to destroy the legions who claimed her life. What sort of a man would he have been if he did not, could not do that? What sort of man would he be if he turned his back on Tokyo's plight and did not do everything in his power to return peace? "Genma, Dearest, while I weep at the thought of my strong and handsome son being forced to wear the appearance of a fragile flower, that doesn't change who he is. You have raised a son who is - by all accounts - the greatest martial artist of this generation. He is bold, he is strong, he is handsome... usually, he is determined, he is loyal, he is courageous and he is surrounded by women who adore him, love him and desire him. He inspires greatness in friends and strangers, and is feared by his enemies." Pulling the wrapped bundle off her back, she ditched the covers and half bared the blade in one smooth movement. Holding the naked edge close to herself, she looked down that the still cowering man. "I would sooner take this blade to my own heart than see him kneel before me in preparation. To see a son as manly as Ranma dead... It would be like destroying every work of Michelangelo simply because David was not well enough endowed." Genma shook his head and stood up, holding out a tentative hand to Nodoka. "Please, No-chan. You can put the sword away. I had intended to bring Ranma back to you soon but I was... Umm... I was just completing his training. Yes! Completing his training. I knew he was a man among men the whole time! I just wanted him to be totally ready for you. Hee Hee. Sure. That's it." Wide eyed and as confused as everyone else in the room, Ranma could finally take it no more. "Would someone _please_ tell me what on earth is going on?! Mum! Old Man! Why do you keep talking like I'm not even here." Nodoka looked at him in confusion. "Because of the _oath_, Ranma-kun." "What oath?" His confusion was as evident on his faces as it was in his voice. When Nodoka looked at Genma he gave a lopsided smile and shrugged. "I... That is... I know! I thought it would be better if the boy just learned to live the right way, rather than studying for some sort of test. Yes, that's it exactly. He has to live it, just like the Art. Right, No- chan?" As Nodoka nodded in solemn agreement, Ranma tried again. "_What_ oath?" So she explained. Before Nodoka had let Genma take their son on his long and perilous training journey, she had him swear an oath. If Genma did not raise little Ranma to be a man among men, a living example of all the manly virtues, both he and Genma would commit ritual suicide. The idea was Genma's but Nodoka made sure he was willing to live up to it. Of course, Ranma was a very mature six year-old, so they had also gotten his agreement before they left. Under Genma's watchful eyes, he had placed his palm print on the contract, sealing his agreement before Genma had presented the document to Nodoka. Nodoka had kept that prized document on the family shrine, re-reading it every day for the past ten years. Her son would be magnificent, Genma would assure that. However, if by some remote chance he failed, and Ranma was not a man among men, a paragon of all the manly virtues, she would be ready. For precisely one hour after reading the pledge from her men, Nodoka would practice with her katana. She knew only a couple of basic kata and one special stroke, but after ten years of practice, Nodoka could at least assure her men that she could deliver the coup-de-grace with precision and accuracy, if they were called upon to fulfil their honour. By the time Nodoka had finished explaining all of this, both Ranma and Genma were nervously fingering their throats. When his mother had extolled the manly virtues that had saved his life, Ranma had become even more nervous. If Akane had still been around and they had been having their regular fights, he did not like his chances of surviving his mother's assessment. But then, that would mean Akane would still be alive, and he could not say that swapping his life for hers would be a bad trade. Sensing the need for a distraction, Nabiki spoke up, changing the topic completely. "Has anyone seen Kuno-chan? It's completely dark now, and I kind of thought we were waiting for him." The martial artists looked around, shrugging their shoulders. There had been no sign of Kuno since yesterday when he went home after their patrol. * * * The magnificent Kuno Tatewaki blocked another attack by the hideous underworld fiend that stood in front of him. Surely none other than himself would have been able to achieve what he could, to not only hold of the Droid but to also defeat it. All single-handedly as further testament to his ability, since his demented sister was currently cackling next to a small, seated man, both of who were watching him intently. Casually blocking another strike, the powerful Blue Thunder smirked at the ease he had. Since his training on Watermelon Island, even that pond scum Saotome had not been able to defeat him with one of the fruit. Now, of all things, a Droid was attacking him, patterned to appear almost identical to the melons he had trained against. With a large green body, and bulbous arms striped in black, the great Kuno's twisted sister has summoned the least effective form to fight against him. While his stunning mind had long considered his sister to be slightly eccentric - she was a Kuno after all, it would hardly do to state that she was completely insane - even someone as observant as he had not realised that she had committed her soul to their enemies. While the Droid might not truly be a watermelon, its appearance was close enough for his training to automatically take effect. With stunning ease, every time a hand, arm or other body part of the Droid came within reach, the divine Kuno Tatewaki had severed the offending item. The Droid's screams of pain had been a certain music to his ears. While Wagner or Bach was more appropriate to someone of his regal stature, the cries of the suffering Droid were enough to ensure that he was sufficiently heralded in his noble quest to bring victory over his sister and her dark actions. All wise and understanding though he was, even someone of Kuno's immense knowledge was unable to discern how even someone as perverse as his sister would be able to join with the forces of evil. For surely all those who would oppose the might of the benevolent Kuno Tatewaki were evil by nature. Kuno was well aware that the people who made the Droids were the enemies of goodness and light, and almost assuredly they were the dark forces that had enslaved his loves to the foul sorcerer that held their heart in his thrall. Yes, it was obvious that the evil mastermind Tuxedo Kamen had sent his minion to ensnare Kuno's sister in an attempt to gain leverage over him. Only someone as evil and devious as the man in the black tuxedo would think of something like that, and it spoke of the base treachery that was second nature to all his low kind. Simply looking at the servant of Tuxedo Kamen that was sitting... err, floating... next to his sister, Kuno could tell what a despicable, shadowy fellow his was. True heroes like the Blue Thunder had no need to hid their faces in shadow. That man must be evil. "Foul vermin! Selfish though she might be, Kodachi is still a Kuno, and I, the Blue Thunder Of Tokyo will free her from your grasp!" Moving deftly to the side with his normal grace and skill, Kuno evaded another strike while parrying two more. His bokken was a blur of justice, delivering righteousness to everywhere within his reach, but he was still not able to reach through to his sister. Amidst an array of slashes and blocks that would leave most men in knots and would be impossible for all but the most advanced swordsmen, Kuno watched as the cloaked figure spoke to his sister. Although she was as dear to him as any other part of the Kuno estate, the generous Blue Thunder could only cope with short bursts of her laughter, so he was quite glad when she finished. Regrettably, moments later, he wished she would continue laughing and never stop, for then she would be too busy to take part in the despicable actions she did. Obviously under some form of insidious mind control that changed her otherwise caring nature so that she no longer felt her normal sisterly love and devotion for him, Kodachi reached out to the large pulsing crystal statue and waved her hand. After short period another Droid stepped free, this one patterned dark brown, with short fur covering much of its body. Although he battled and held off the watermelon Droid with his astounding dexterity and unsurpassed skill, the fearless Blue Thunder was slightly concerned at the presence of the second monstrosity. For while everyone knew that to be a Kuno was to be great beyond all other - and he, Kuno Tatewaki was the crowning example of the centuries old bloodline - there were limits for even his greatness. Why, if they were to summon another twenty or thirty of these things, he might even become slightly pressed. Most demeaning of all for Kodachi, was the way that the forces of darkness made her submit to them. After summoning the Droid, his twisted sister had fallen to the ground, screaming and holding herself. Well did he recognise she antics, for Kuno had seen the expression of indescribable pleasure on his previous suitors, back in the days when the noble Tendo Akane and the Pig-Tailed Girl had thrown themselves at him. While he had finally managed to convince the Pig-Tailed Girl that his true love lay with his darlings Venus and Fire, he could well remember the way that his loves had fallen to the ground in ecstasy at his mere appearance. To see such... devotion afflicted upon a Kuno was inexcusable. "Foul demon! I shalt smite thee truly and free mine sister from thy grasp!" Although the undefeatable and indefatigable Kuno's mastery of the sword saw him in good stead against the watermelon Droid, in some way the other seemed to be able to slip through his guard. Evidently it was using some other form of unnatural magic, for even the man who had been his greatest enemy - Saotome Ranma - had never managed to hit him without resorting to underhand techniques. His noble head ringing from the pile-driver blow delivered by the Droid, Kuno looked up and flashed his most charismatic smile. "That... Did not hurt." * * * As the ragtag group or martial artists arrived at the gates to the Kuno residence, Hotaru spoke up. "Please wait, everyone. I think... I can feel something evil in there." While in her magical girl uniform, Hotaru possessed the ability to sense evil. Normally it was not very useful, since you could usually see the bad guys with your eyes just as well as she could sense them, but maybe in this case she could help. It was better that Ranma-san and his friends went in with the knowledge that the place would be dangerous, rather than expecting their friend's home to be perfectly safe and normal. "Are you sure you don't mean you can sense something _stupid_ in there, Sugar?" Ukyo asked. Everyone gave a little snicker, which surprised the cook, since she was not sure that Shampoo laughed at anything other than her enemies. "No, I'm serious. There's something really wrong. I can feel it. It's-- -" There was no telling exactly "it" was by Hotaru's definition, because a massive grinding, crashing noise suddenly resounded from the house, and a dark, purple shape could be seen over one wing. As the martial artists stood there and watched, the crystal shape grew revealing itself to be a massive model of Kodachi's head. Accurate to every detail, the martial artists could almost feel the head leering at them in exactly the same way the gymnast always had. "Looks like we found Hotaru's evil." Ranma said. Ryoga just grunted in response, but he readied his trusty umbrella. Where there were giant dark crystal statues, there were usually Droids and Senshi. "No, it's not just that, there's also---" "Sorry, Sugar. I don't think we have time for all the details at the moment. So, Ran-chan. How do you ant to do this? We all just go over the fence then straight in through one of the windows?" "We can't do that, Ucchan. This is the Kuno place we're talking about, and it's more whacked out than they are. I'm afraid this time it's just gunna be me and Shampoo. We both went in there when we were looking for the Japanese Nanniichuan, so we know what we gotta suspect, which is just about everything." "What about me, Saotome?" Ryoga held up one fist, as though daring the small redhead to forget. "You weren't really thinking of going in there without me, were you? You weren't the only one after the Nannichuan, you know." "Trust me, Ryoga, I'd love to have you along, but I got two good reasons for you. One: Midorigame. How's P-Chan gunna fare if one of Kodachi's traps drops you into the pond with her pet alligator?" Ryoga gave a low growl, as though trying to fight off the logic behind the argument. "And what else?" "Senshi. With that thing sticking out the top of the house, you can bet every psycho in Tokyo is gunna be coming through here in no time. I need you, Ucchan, Mousse and Hotaru to hold them off till we can get Kuno out. I don't care who destroys the statue, but I don't want anyone else dying because of them. You've gotta buy me some time." Those staying behind nodded their head solemnly. They all too well realised that depending on who turned up, they might be stuck with the hardest end of the deal. Fortunately, since Ryoga was concentrating on the image of beating up the red-skirted Senshi while he was immune to her fire, he completely missed Ranma's muttered comment about how Ryoga would also be more of a liability if he got lost in there. Catching the eyes of each person on the team, Ranma waited for their nod of approval. He might have been the one that blurted out the plan, but without their support, it would not achieve anything. "Be careful, Ranma-san." "Yeah, Ran-chan. Make sure you come back in one piece." Giving the girls a cocky grin that inadvertently irritated the boys no end, Ranma nodded. "Come on, Shampoo. We gotta go save stick boy's butt." Shampoo nodded and tightened her grip on the bonbori as she vaulted to the top of the gate. The main driveway was the easiest way into the Kuno residence since they needed to leave it clear of ambushes for delivery vehicles. Unfortunately, it also sent them straight to main entrance, which was as almost as far from their desired destination as possible, and you could be assured that every centimetre of the way would be covered in traps. Access was no problem, Shampoo was a past master of creating doors wherever they were needed. Once in the house, they skirted the obvious traps and made their way into the inner sanctum. The razor wire and bowling balls suspended from the ceiling were amateur grade traps, hardly worthy of the Kuno's efforts, but they did act as a warning for the rest of the house. This would not be easy. From the main ballroom in the middle of the mansion, Ranma and Shampoo sprinted through the darkened corridors with an increasing feeling of dread. They had already been in here for several long minutes, and while they had not been hurt seriously, both of them sported some minor cuts and bruises. Even worse, they had only just missed being dumped into one of the hidden pits or labyrinths beneath the house twice. While the fall would not be enough to injure them, they knew from experience that it was the under levels that contained the really nasty tricks. If they fell down there, it would slow them dramatically, and they might not be able to reach Kuno and his sister in the time their friends were able to hold off any aggressors that turned up. By Ranma's reckoning, they had almost reached the place where they had seen the statue erupting from the roof when an unfortunate misstep triggered another trap. As sharp as one of Dr Tofu's acupuncture needles, a stream of darts jetted out from the wall immediately in front of Ranma. Moving more on instinct than planning, Ranma dropped to her left side at the same time as her right hand knocked up the first dart in the steam, deflecting it from her face. Safe herself, Ranma rolled back to her feet - carefully avoiding the trigger step - while she looked back at Shampoo. "Are you, OK? Did they get you?" "Shampoo fine. Shampoo barely scratched." Leaning closer, Shampoo pulled up the sleeve of her top and showed him the thin red line that ran across her pale flesh. As she had said, there was nothing to worry about. Nonetheless, Shampoo took another step closer. "Ranma check for other marks on Shampoo, yes?" "Not now, Shampoo. We've got to get the Kuno's outta here." She was half turned back to the door from the room when Shampoo almost threw herself into Ranma's arms. "Shampoo!" She said with a noticeable trace of anger in her voice. "I told you we don't have time for that now." But Shampoo did not move, nor did she apologise or speak in any way. Putting an arm around her slim waist, Ranma rolled her backwards into what was almost the classical pose for a dancer holding his partner. Except in dace, the person holding is usually a man, and he is usually taller than his partner. Currently both Ranma and Shampoo were female, and Ranma's small statue meant that Shampoo's head lolled backwards without decent support and the red-head had to struggle to keep a decent grip on the girl as she tried to inspect her. "Hey! Shampoo! Come on, wake up!" Giving a shake seemed to evoke no response, so Ranma laid her down and looked into her eyes. The Chinese girl's eyes, normally so bright and vibrant were clouded and still. "Poison." The word came out as a curse. Of all the nasty tricks that the Kuno's like to employ, Ranma liked Kodachi's predilection for poison the least. Traps and weapons you could fight back against, but poison was insidious and as dangerous as a snake in the grass. You might never know it was there until it struck you down, and it could be every bit as deadly as any weapon a martial artist might ever field, all with a single drop. Frowning in annoyance, Ranma stood up and evaluated her options. She could go and get Kuno, and rely upon being able to come back for Shampoo. That might work all right if there was not much danger, but Ranma did not like her chances. In the past, statues like the one they saw rising from the roof were often guarded by a Droid. By herself, or even with Kuno's assistance, Ranma did not like her chances of being able to defeat the Droid. She might do it, but the effort of getting Shampoo out of the house in a big hurry after it would not be good. Nor would her prospects of being able to help her friends with the Senshi that would inevitably arrive. Sighing in resignation, Ranma slid her hands under Shampoo and hoisted the Amazon to her shoulders. She knew that Shampoo would have done almost anything to have her be carried around like this if she was awake, so the only reason Ranma was doing it now was because her friend was unconscious. The fireman's carry was effective and easy to maintain, but Ranma suspected Shampoo would enjoy the position just a little too much if she woke up. Resolving to move Shampoo to her arms the first time her purple head moved, Ranma set off at a run again. Only a few more rooms to go. Ranma heard sounds of fighting well before she could see them. It was only when she rounded the corner of a slightly broken looking wall that she was able to take in the battle. In all honesty, even as she stood there, the greatest martial artist in Japan, Ranma had to admit she was impressed by Kuno's skill and stamina. The Kendoist was standing with his back to Ranma when she entered, but she could see how worn he was. His clothes hung in tatters around him, and she could see a wide array of large bruises and cuts covering his back and sides. Scattered around him were a number of broken bokken, each one testament to a powerful blow that had reached through, or a block that had succeeded in abating the impact of an otherwise massive strike. While she could not credit his skill as being near hers, Ranma did have to give Kuno full points for persistence. Alone he was facing off against three Droids, each one uglier than the last. While he swayed on his feet and struggled to keep his weapon pointed at the nearest enemy, he still commanded respect. Few people would remain in the same room as that force of evil, let alone have the audacity to take it on. Hoping the Droids did not see her, Ranma quietly put Shampoo on the ground. It was worse than she had thought, and she had considered some pretty bad things. There were not Witches here, and neither Emerald nor Diamond was there to command the Droids, but looking at the way Kodachi stood there beside a shadowy figure, Ranma could only conclude that her pristine, uninjured state only meant some form of collusion. "Halt... Foul fiends... Release my... Release my sister... and the great Kuno... Blue Thunder Of Tokyo... may yet have mercy on you." There was more puffing and panting in Kuno speech than talking, but he still said it with the same confident belief he always maintained. Dodging behind a pillar, Ranma ghosted closer to the action in time to hear Kodachi's response. "Brother dear. I'm afraid that there is absolutely no-one to release me, nor anything to release me from. This most kind and generous admirer of mine has seen free to gift me with powers beyond the comprehension of your pitiful mind." "Lies! A member of House Kuno would never lower themselves to scrapping in the gutters like those common miscreants do." The Black Rose studied her fingernails for a moment, as though seeking a fitting response to that. "Do you know, Brother Dearest, I find myself growing more and more tired of your delusional ways. Since you cannot seem to accept what is evident before you, and you continue to refuse my offers, I am afraid that I have no choice. Consider this my way of making you first among equals, a last parting gift from me... Droids! Kill him!" So saying, Kodachi took the hand of the man sitting next to her, and the next instant they were gone. Briefly they seemed to flicker, as though the reception was bad on an old television, but all too soon Kuno was alone, facing three large, angry Droids; but then, do Droids come in any other type aside from large and angry? That was all Ranma needed. Running on legs boosted by Ki and body churning with as much heavy Ki as she could generate, Ranma sprinted forwards. For a brief moment, even the Droids seemed to move in slow motion as she grabbed what remained of the back of Kuno's shirt and turned around. Fortunately the heavy fabric along the collar had survived the punishment it had received in Kuno's fights, and he was dragged along as his saviour pulled him away from the Droids. Stunned beyond belief, Kuno looked over his shoulder to see a familiar red pigtail bobbing in the air. "Pig-Tailed Girl! You came for me! Surely there can be no greater sign of your love!" Unceremoniously dropping him, Ranma spared a moment from her contemplations. "Pick on the Senshi, not me, Kuno. They deserve it." Holding her hands in front of her, Ranma dropped all the heavy Ki she had gathered into a green ball. "Shi Shi Hokodan!" Ripping across the room in a flash of lurid light, the green ball struck the wall and blasted it open. "Instant door. Follow me, Stupid." Hoisting Shampoo over her right shoulder like a sack of wheat, Ranma grabbed Kuno's hand and pulled him behind her. Although he still wanted to stay and fight, most of that urge had gone out of him. Content to follow, Kuno soon found himself out in a hallway. It ran in parallel to the room they had just been in, and was just as filled with traps as the rest of the house. A push from behind, and Kuno found himself leading the party down the hall. "Come on, Kuno. We gotta get out of her. Those Droids will be after us soon, and neither you or Shampoo can fight them real well at the moment." "Umm... Yes. I understand." Firming his resolve, Kuno looked left then right. He had lives in this house all his life and knew every corridor like the back of his hand. At the Pig-Tailed Girl's behest, he set off at the best speed her could manage. Now that he was no longer facing danger, Kuno could feel pain creeping into his limbs and body. All over he hurt, and his legs screamed out for him to stop and rest, but he kept on moving. Deep down, some well hidden part of his personality called for self preservation, so he ran, putting as much of the trap infested house between them and the Droids as possible. "These traps... They'll slow them for a little while, but not forever, Pig-Tailed Girl. We have to get out of here, lest my deranged and traitorous sister decides she is serious in her intent." "Fine. Just head for the main gate. Everyone else is waiting there. Once we're together, then we can look at doing something about those ugly suckers." Kuno nodded and pressed just a little harder. Maybe it was his imagination, but the angry sounds of pursuing Droids did not sound far off. * * * Only a couple of minutes had passed since Ranma and Shampoo had gone into the Kuno estate, but already those who remained outside were getting twitchy and nervous. While they remained on guard and waited for some - any - sign from inside, their nerves wore down and seconds seemed to pass like hours. "Shouldn't they be back yet?" "That's the fifth time you've asked that already, Ukyo." Ryoga sounded annoyed, but he could not blame her for asking. "But how long have they been gone? It's got to be at least half an hour. That's far to long for them to get in and out. I think we need to go after them." "It's only been two and a half minutes, Ukyo. That's exactly twenty five seconds since you last asked exactly the same thing." Mousse sounded calmer than Ryoga, but not much. "Oh, and how do you know?" Mousse lifted up his arm and dropped a full sized grandfather clock onto the street. His response was dry, but it was clearly an attempt to relieve the stress. "Timing is very important to Hidden Weapon Style of martial arts." Ukyo groaned though she took his point. Trying to calm down, she began to pace backwards and forwards. She was Ranma's fiancee. She was not supposed to stand by on the sidelines and worry about him like this. She was supposed to be with him, facing the same dangers he did, saving him from terrible fates and so on. "Shouldn't they be back yet?" Before Mousse could retort, Ryoga held up his hand and nodded at a dark alleyway across the street. "Wait! Did anyone else just see anything?" When the chorus of 'no''s came, Ryoga shook his head and started in the direction of the alley. "Wait here while I check it out. And this time, try to keep your eyes open. I don't want to know what would happen to us if the Senshi caught us out." Abashed, Hotaru, Mousse and Ukyo watched Ryoga's broad back as he slowly and carefully advanced towards the alley. Just as he was entering the darkness, Ukyo looked over Hotaru's head and spoke to the Chinese boy. "Sugar... I was just wondering... Shouldn't one of us go with him, you know, just in case he gets lost or something?" "What sort of person could get lost walking down an alley?" The teenagers blinked simultaneously then turned and sprinted to the alley. "Ryoga! Wait for us!" As they skidded around the entrance to the alley with Hotaru on their heels, they got their answer. Ryoga was a person who could get lost anywhere. There was no trace of him, nor anything else that could have piqued his interest. "Damn!" Mousse folded his arms in irritation and frowned. "Now we've got problems. Ryoga probably won't be able to find his way back for days." Just down past the corner of a cross street to the alley, Ryoga lifted his head. "Huh? Did someone just say my name?" Looking backwards and forwards for the source of the voice, Ryoga realised that he had become distracted and lost track of which alley he had come out of. He had been concentrating so hard, making sure that he knew exactly where to go so he could get back to the others, and it was all thrown out the window because he thought he heard someone speaking to him. Taking a guess on the best direction to follow, Ryoga crossed the road and hoped he was heading back to the Kuno mansion. It did not take long for him to become worried that something was amiss, since he was fairly sure - not certain by any measure, but fairly sure nonetheless - that it had not taken him half an hour to walk to the alley from where he had been standing guard. Shrugging his wide shoulders, Ryoga continued, there was not much else he could do. Life had taught him that no-one would find him; he needed to find his destination, no matter how long that took. He was passing another narrow street when he heard familiar voices. Turning left into the street instantly, Ryoga started a slow jog with his head swivelling backwards and forwards. None to soon, Ryoga breached the end of the street and came out onto a main road. A road nearly devoid of people, but yet containing two too many. Looking around once more, Ryoga fervently hoped that his friends were near enough to hear the battle, because he did not like his chances. Just him and Black Lady, and with her delicate figure he did not think she would do very well in combat, despite what she had said last time they met. Giving one last growl of anger, Ryoga cupped his hands in front and took aim. "Shi Shi Hokodan!" Green, furious energy surged across the street and knocked the despicable Sailor Neptune off her feet. Now that he had announced himself, Ryoga started forwards. Against a pair of Senshi, he did not think he would be able to win in a ranged battle. Then again, it was those very thoughts - and the sight of Neptune regaining her feet apparently unhurt - that fuelled his depression. "Shi Shi Hokodan!" Watching the aqua Senshi fall onto her bottom again, Ryoga snorted. If she could keep getting up from his best attack, Ryoga knew he would soon reach levels of depression great enough to boost his attack even further until she did notice it. In many ways, the Shi Shi Hokodan was the perfect attack. If you won, you were happy, but then you did not need it anymore. If you lost, you would become more depressed, drawing upon more and more power until at last your attack was overwhelming. Ryoga might have continued to pound Sailor Neptune quite successfully, but her partner was not very keen on that idea, and she was entirely willing to ignore Black Lady for long enough to distract the rude person who had cut in on their dance. Having kept half an eye on the tall Senshi, Ryoga was able to dodge the World Shaking as it burrowed through the top of the street. Leaping to the side he suffered nothing more than minor stings as yellow energy sparked off the travelling ball of destruction. Regrettably, the building behind him was not able to dodge as well. As he touched down from his jump the façade gave an ominous groan and began to swing inwards. Moments later the lost boy was buried completely in rubble. "No!" Dimly in the darkness under the collapsed building front Ryoga could hear his friend shouting. Well, Ryoga assumed Black Lady was his friend. She was fighting the Senshi and he had seen her fight the Death Busters before. The old adage of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" was always a good starting point. The bricks managed to dampen some of the sound, but there was no doubting that the fighting had just become more intense. Black Lady was out there fighting, and he was trapped under here. Straining his shoulders, Ryoga could feel the bricks shift, but not much. Gritting his teeth, he tried again to no avail. Around him, he could start to make out the shapes of the rubble covering him. Dim green provided limited lighting, but that just made everything seem more and more hopeless. If he could not lift it off him, those Senshi would take apart Black Lady, and it would be all his fault. The lighting was brighter now, bright enough to read by. Inspiration struck at the same time as he heard consecutive attacks called out above him. "Bakusai Tenketsu!" Rock exploded around him, sending fragments everywhere. As the dust began clearing, Ryoga stood there with heart pounding and looking like a green search light in the mist. Depression and uselessness washed through his body as though he was made of it. It pulsed through his veins and he could feel it curling the hairs on his arms. He knew Ranma would never suffer depression one tenth as great as this, everything just went perfectly for the annoying sex changer; that made it even more depressing. "SHI SHI HOKODAN!" Rather than a Roaring Lion Bullet racing from his hands, this was more like a Roaring Lion Artillery Shell. Large, nasty and packed with every last erg of energy in his body, the attack would have been noticed even by someone as tough as the Senshi. Would have, if it hit. When launching his all or nothing attack, Ryoga momentarily forgot that while the Senshi were as tough as he was, they were also as fast as Ranma. A surprised Sailor Uranus looked across from her to where she had been standing, directly behind there the shop had been completely gutted by the one blast. "Careful, Neptune! That can't have been what he was firing before, it's much more powerful. I think he must have just powered up some how." "Right!" "WORLD SHAKING!" Exhausted, Ryoga looked up to see another attack rolling in towards him. He was too tired to move, but if he stayed here, they would be picking little bits of him off the walls. An instant before the yellow energy overcame him, Ryoga felt himself lifted by the back of his shirt, soaring out of the danger zone. First he looked down, and saw that he was really only a few metres up, despite how it felt. When he looked upwards, he saw a smile on that angelic face. "Black Lady..." He whispered. Moving across the street now, she looked down at him. "Ryoga-san." His mouth fell open. "You... You remembered my name!" "How could I forget the name of the only man to ever come to my defence. The only man to try and save me or show me any kindness. And now look, you've done it again, and those horrible, horrible Senshi have tried to hurt you." For a moment a look of royal displeasure crossed Dark Lady's face and Ryoga resolved himself never to make her angry with him. She still seemed like a fragile flower to him, ill-suited to fighting despite the fact that she was carrying his not inconsiderable bulk through mid-air without any apparent difficulty. He did not know what she had planned for the Senshi but he knew he would enjoy it much more than they would. Lowing him, she placed him beside a massive leg made out of purple crystal. "Rest here, Ryoga-san. I have something to take care of." Resting his back up against the stone, he watched Black Lady take to the air again, artfully dodging a stream of water that shot from Neptune's hands. Once she was high over the field of battle and could direct her attacks against the Senshi with ease the pink haired woman ceased her assent and looked down. Licking her luscious lips once, she lifted her right hand and held it above her head. "I think it is time the Outer Senshi learned to respect the power of Nemesis!" With that, she dropped her hand and a beam of black energy coursed out of it. Looking like a stream of black paint, the attack flew straight and true, hitting the ground between the two earth bound girls. Street and dirt exploded everywhere sending the two girls flying. The crater was enormous, at least ten metres across, and the debris shattered what few windows remained intact in nearby buildings. Rather than let the Senshi off with just a warning, Black Lady brought her other hand down and began firing bolt after bolt of blackness at where Sailor Neptune would have landed. More explosions ensued and the remaining street and sidewalk was ripped into ruin. Smirking to Ryoga, Black Lady dropped back to the ground and started to walk over to where her victim should be. "See, Ryoga-kun. There was no real danger. I can call you 'Ryoga-kun', can't I?" Slightly nervous, Ryoga nodded. If she could blow things up like that and fly around, she could call him whatever she felt like and he would not object. He was still nodding when he saw two figures appear out of the dust. Eyes widening he tried to shout a warning even as Uranus' blast caught Black Lady in her stomach. "No!" Suddenly boosted by adrenaline, Ryoga stood up in a fit of rage, only to collapse back again almost immediately as his exhaustion hit. Reaching back with one hand, Ryoga braced himself on the leg of the statue, trying to steady himself enough to gain his breath. Before Black Lady even hit the ground Ryoga felt energy surging into his body. Darkness, depression, anger, all this flowed into him from the statue. All the heavy energy he had used in his Shi Shi Hokodan came rushing back into him, filling him up again so he could continue the fight. Sparing an amazed glance for the statue, Ryoga turned back to the Senshi with a feral grin on his face, fangs showing as he felt eager for battle. "You're not going to hurt Black Lady like you did to Akane!" With one hand on the statue and one in front of him, his depression blasts came as fast and easily as if he was squirting a water pistol. Unlike a water pistol, they did much more damage when they hit. They might not have been as powerful as his last attempt had been, but his ability to throw an unlimited quantity made even the Senshi take him seriously as a target. With green blasts flying towards the Senshi like arrows at a target, they quickly separated and forced him to divide his fire. He did not have to divide it for long however, since Black Lady was back on her feet sooner than he would have believed possible. Brows pulled down into a terrifying scowl, Black Lady brushed off some dust from her dress. "That made me dirty! You'll pay for that!" Hopping into the air, Black Lady stood there with one leg curled beneath her for a moment before sighting on Sailor Uranus, the woman who had the audacity to strike her and send her into the dust and wreckage. Unleashing a massive quantity of energy, Black Lady systematically set about destroying everything around the Senshi, scouring the earth to get her prey. Buildings erupted and dirt flew everywhere, but she had only just begun to tap her power. Granted full access to the powers of Nemesis by the Wiseman, Black Lady knew she could rip this entire district into nothingness if she desired, but that would not accomplish her mission, nor would it allow her to save Ryoga. With Black Lady focused on destroying Sailor Uranus, Ryoga switched his fire back to Sailor Neptune. Able to concentrate on the one Senshi, he could keep her on the run long enough that she found it almost impossible to return fire. Unfortunately, the difference between "almost impossible" and "impossible" can be very large. Forced to keep his hand on the statue so that he could draw on its power, Ryoga was unable to dodge. When Sailor Neptune's attack hit him, Ryoga was forced backwards, thrown through the crystal. For a moment, his whole world became nothing but pain and the vision of shattered black shards of crystal. All around him his pained face reflected back in a million and one facets. Almost in slow motion, Ryoga felt himself land on the ground, his back scratched by a multitude of pieces. Above him, he watched the bulk of the statue slowly fall towards him, jagged edges seeking out his heart as they descended. Closing his eyes, Ryoga braced himself, preying that it would be quick and that Black Lady would be able to deal with the Senshi by herself. Holding himself rigid, Ryoga held his breath, the breath he expected to be his last. Instead, a warm breeze washed across his face and he felt a fine shower of dust. Cranking one eyelid open, Ryoga looked up and tried to understand what had happened. The statue was gone. All of those horrible, piercing shard were gone. All that existed was himself... and Black Lady. "Y-You saved me." Black Lady blushed slightly, a fine red showing up easily on her pale features. "You would have done the same for me." Numbly, Ryoga nodded. Here she was, right next to him, and he could not think of what to say. She probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and she was spending time with him. It was more that his brain could cope with. Although Akane was beautiful, although so many of Ranma's fiancees had been stunning, Black Lady cast them all into shadow. She was tall, slender, refined, and her giggle was like the sounds of birds in the spring morning. "I... I'm sorry. I must have been staring." Reaching down, she helped him to his feet. Her hand was tiny, but there was no doubting the strength it held. "Please. I am the one who must apologise. If I was not distracted with those Senshi, you would not have become involved. Please, Ryoga-kun, accept my apology... And my thanks." Looking down, Ryoga scratched the back of his unruly hair and gave a short laugh. "Hee Hee. I couldn't just let them attack you like that. The Senshi are everyone's enemies, not just yours. Heck... I would have helped you no matter who you were fighting." "Oh my!" Rather than the confident and slightly brazen girl he had seen in battle, Black Lady up close seemed to be just as shy as he was. Nervously shuffling his feet, Ryoga kicked aside some of the dust that had gathered. For a moment, a nervous thought began to take root in his mind. "S-Say... This statue... You wouldn't be using it to produce Droids or Daimons or anything, would you?" He was rewarded by that perfect laugh again. "Of course not, Ryoga-kun. As you saw, the statue is nothing but a fuelling site for the dark energy. I have no need of creating something as feeble as a Droid to do my work for me." Relieved, Ryoga gave his own little chuckle. Over the last few weeks they had learned to associate the giant statues with the presence of Droids and Emerald or Diamond who controlled them. As he had hoped, Black Lady confirmed that she was not a party to those sorts of deeds. It was the people that made the monsters that were just as much to blame for Akane's death as the Senshi, and he was glad that his friend was not affiliated with that. Surprising him with her action, Black Lady took Ryoga's hand and lead him away from the scene of their battle. "I'm not sure whether I managed to get Sailor Uranus or not, but Sailor Neptune is still out there. Come, walk with me for a time. It would probably be better for both of us if we were to depart prior to the return of the police." Nodding his head, Ryoga held her slender fingers in his wide, blunt ones and walked beside her. His face felt like it was burning from embarrassment, and his heart was pounding harder than when he was fighting, but he would not have traded their evening together for anything. * * * "Shampoo!" Mousse's eyesight might not be the best even with his Coke bottle eye glasses, but even he could see well enough while wearing them to recognise the shape coming towards them. In a rather lopsided looking arrangement, the small, female Ranma was the centrepiece with his love Shampoo thrown over one shoulder so that her feet almost touched the ground and her long hair collected the occasional burr or stick from the grass. On Ranma's left, the tall Kuno heir was draped languidly. Since Ranma would normally not let the boy touch her, Mousse instantly knew that something was wrong. "Shampoo!" Calling the name like a battle cry, Mousse vaunted the front gates and sprinted to Ranma as she crossed the front lawn. Reaching them partway, Mousse took Shampoo into his arms and gently cradled the unconscious girl. "What happened? Shampoo! Answer me!" "She'll be fine, Mousse. One of the traps got her, but it's only a sleeping poison. Kuno says she'll be fine." The Chinese boy paid him no mind, running off with Shampoo in his hands. Pulling the stumbling Kuno with him, Ranma could not keep up, and Mousse returned to the safe side of the gate just as Ukyo was crossing in the opposite direction to help Ranma. Between the two of them, the teenagers got Kuno out of his own home and sat him on the street. "Where's Ryoga?" Ranma asked, casting about for the second strongest fighter. "Lost." There was scorn mixed with regret and shame in Ukyo's voice. Cursing softly, Ranma turned back to the gates and looked inwards. Mousse would be almost useless since he was so worried about Shampoo. With Ryoga missing and Kuno injured that left himself and Ukyo as the only able bodied fighters remaining. Against one Droid, he would have chanced it. Against three... Ranma turned back to his friends and crouched down in front of the kendoist. He was looking better now that Hotaru was using her healing on him, but she seemed to be getting paler and paler by the second. "Hey, Hotaru. Are you OK? You don't look so good." "I'll be fine, Ranma-san. I just need to keep healing Tatewaki-san." Smiling a little weakly, Kuno held up a hand to stop her. "Nay, I say to thee, fair nurse. While thy ministrations are most appreciated, my wounds vex me insufficiently to encumber thee so. Better that I should face the minions of all nine hells as they do come from mine abode than I should take my repose under your tender care." Hotaru blinked a couple of times. "Does that mean you want me to stop?" "Verily." With a sigh, and not entirely unwillingly, Hotaru sat back on her heels and ran a forearm across her brow. Even as a magical girl, healing people took a lot out of her. Since she had been with Ranma-san and his friends, she had gotten lots of practice every night and she was getting better, but this time there were so many injuries to treat, it was very taxing. She was not sure why they were different, but one of the things she loved about Ranma-san and all his friends was that they liked her even more for her ability to heal, rather than scorning her like the other children at school. It was a nice feeling. Kuno forced himself back to his feet and unsteadily walked his way back to the gates of his mansion. "After all these years, the hounds of hell fairly bark at the doors. Sheltering within the home created to defend us from such peril they do bark and bay, slavering at the thought of our souls." Leaning forwards, Kuno pressed his head against the bars, unseen tears tracking down his face. "Fully eight years before, this house became nothing more than a source of sorrow. Would that I could pull it all down, to bring it to the ground rather than to fester with such unholy creatures residing within." There was quiet for a while, then a soft voice came from beside his elbow. "Do... Do you really mean that, Tatewaki-san? Would you really blow up your whole home rather than let the Droid's survive?" He gave a rueful chuckle. "Were only that possible, I would hesitate for not even a second. This house did cease to be a home since the madness came that night. To the Kuno fortune, such a house as this is nothing, and there would be no loss of loving memories within its walls, for all those were cleaned away in one night. Aye, I say that if I were to have the means, I would clear this ground, brick by brick, till naught remained of house or Droid." "I... I could do it... If you really wanted..." Suddenly, alarmingly, Hotaru felt she was the centre of attention. Blushing, she lowered her head and held the Silence Glaive across her body in an unconsciously defensive gesture. Looking down at her, Kuno spoke slowly. "Fair maiden, little soldier of the way of justice, tell you the truth? Could you bestow this boon upon my line?" "Well... I would be a bit difficult..." Hotaru could feel everyone relax, as though they had caught her boasting. "But I think I can make the attack small enough." That caused everyone to stop and take stock. As one, all the heads present turned and looked at the mansion. Large by the standards of any house, it was enormous for Tokyo proportions. Even more, it sat in the middle of a private garden that was closer to a forest or a park. To say it was large did not do justice to the Kuno's wealth or the massive efforts from their staff of maids and grounds keepers. "You'll have a problem making it small enough?" For once even Ranma sounded impressed. The words were hardly out of his mouth when Kuno showed he was as good as his words. Not waiting a second longer, he knelt down in front of Hotaru and took one of her hands. "Little soldier, I implore you. Please do as you may. Whether you succeed or fail, know that I shall be grateful for the trying. Know that my prayers shall go with you, wishing for your success in this venture." Hotaru caught Ranma's eye and saw a small nod. Nodding herself, she waved her arm and ordered everyone back. "Just wait behind me. I don't want anyone to get hurt." Once she was sure that everyone was safe, Hotaru faced the gates side on and lifted the Silence Glaive. Somehow, just the intention to use it made the massive weapon feel even lighter, as though to encourage her to keep freeing the destruction she knew she kept bottled up inside every day of the week. She was concentrating on the size, trying to measure up the place to ensure that she would not overshoot when the Droids finally made it out of the house. Without a Kuno to guide them through the traps, the three Droids had been delayed considerably, but they were as implacable as they were unstoppable. "Um... Hotaru, now would be a really good time to start..." Flashing Ranma a quick smile, Hotaru turned back to the gates, completely unconcerned by the three, large, rushing forms that were crossing the grass in broad strides. They were no threat. "SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE!" Dropping the end of her glaive in an arc, the tip touched the ground, and the Silence reached out. All noise vanished, and entropy seemed to set in throughout the vista. The Droids, once such powerful enemies, barely managed another step before they vanished. Although little time passed, barely a second, everyone could clearly see every incredible moment as the flesh and bones seemed to lift off the monsters and they dissolved into the air. So too, the house, the trees, the rocks and everything else within range of Hotaru's attack was surrounded by the all consuming Silence. Walls disintegrated and the roof lifted off the house, silently and rapidly peeling away into nothingness. As destruction walked its way through the Kuno estate visiting everything without favouritism, not a sound was to be heard. For this was the Silence, the all-consuming end that reached out for everything. With the precision of a ticking clock, that single suspended second of destruction and Silence passed. From where Hotaru's Silence Glaive touched the grounds outwards a great swath of land had been cleared. Of the trees and mansion, there was not a single sign remaining. There was no debris or rubble; everything in the path of her weapon had simply gone, more thoroughly than any moving company could possibly achieve. The weapon had struck at ground level, wiping out the house and anything above ground but from where they stood they could see cellars and pipes sticking up. Occasionally a small spout of water squirted up, testimony to the fact that water pressure still existed, even if the taps were no longer there. Turning back to her friends, Hotaru had a spring in her step and a smile on her face. "That was fun! I've never gotten to use any of my attacks before. What are we going to do next?" Ranma's mouth hung open slackly. "W-Wow... W-Was that your biggest attack? You've said before how they were really powerful..." "No, of course not, Ranma-san!" Hotaru felt bright and perky after having unleashed the Silence, and it showed in her speech. "That was my _smallest_ attack. That's why I can't use them in battle." Looking back at the house - or where it used to be - Ranma could only shake his head in amazement. Even his most powerful Shi Shi Hokodan could not even do a hundredth of that. Who was he kidding? He could not do a thousandth! Seeing that, he could almost understand why the Senshi were so afraid of little Hotaru. That much power in the hands of the wrong person would be terrifying beyond description. Despite the sheer scope of the destruction, what scared Ranma the most was how easily she had done it. In the past, he had seen Hotaru ready for collapse after a hundred metre run. But now she had just levelled the entire Kuno estate and she did not even break a sweat. Everyone he knew, even Cologne or Happosai, wore themselves out with their big attacks. If this was just a warm-up for Hotaru, he feared what she could produce when she was pressed for it. "Let's... Let's go back home. We gotta find Ryoga, and I think Kuno needs a rest. Besides, I don't want to hang around here any longer than we need to. Not only that, but I think you better tell us all about your attacks again... And I'm sure we're all gunna listen really hard this time." --- End of Chapter.